June 16, 2005

Ohio BWC scandal widens

Folks at the Ohio Bureau of Workers Comp (BWC) desperately need to remember the first rule of holes: when you are in one, stop digging. Today, reports are that the BWC is considering $80 million in givebacks to employers in the form of an 8 percent dividend in a misguided attempt to demonstrate solvency. Last month, the BWC voted to raise rates by an average 4.4 percent beginning July 1. This "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" scheme would be a knee-jerk response to the ever-widening scandal that now encompasses the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds. Nearly every day finds a new shoe being dropped. Some of the revelations are boggling:

We hope the BWC will drop the idea of employer givebacks until totally independent parties have assessed the full scope of the mess. Sadly, Ohio BWC has already broken faith with taxpayers, with employers that pay premium into the fund, and with injured workers for whom the monies are held in trust. Now it's time to stop digging.

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1 Comment

I observe that Taft either : 1) knew what was happening and played cover-up, and wants the Public to think he's innocent and free of fault because he has demoted a staffer. big deal. He should fire the staffer and should also begin resigning his governor position. He claims to be innocent, wants us to think he simply did not keep in touch with his own staff to know this was happening. What a farse! that is pathetic. This funds money was invaded to fund a political party election. It was covered up by the same party. Follow it to the top. And keep going. Is this the type of midwest values we vote for?